The errant and undisciplined ruminations of a Conservative public interest attorney, GOP activist, and father of two sons. Nothing herein should be confused with tolerance of folly, RINOs (Republicans In Name Only), sufferance of fools gladly, or endorsement of perversion.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Supreme Court Hears Foundation Case

Spent yesterday at the Supreme Court, for oral argument in Davenport v. Washington Education Association, a case being handled by one of my Foundation colleagues.

I won't comment on the merits here, in keeping with my policy. However, I did want to note that the Clerk of the Court, Maj. Gen. William Suter (USA, ret.) has to be one of the nicest people you can meet in Washington. Entirely helpful and friendly, and very approachable, he is simply a great guy. We arrived quite early to be sure of getting a seat, ending up as the first in the lawyers' line, and had an opportunity to greet him. He came over, chatted jovially, and did his best to make sure that we felt welcome. Others to whom I have mentioned this have confirmed this impression.

As to the coverage of the case, you can make your own judgments.

Emory '89L classmate Howard Bashman runs down some of the coverage here, here, and here.

And in perhaps the best title and end line, Dahlia Litwick discusses the case on Slate.com. Her title, "Just Say No Twice," is priceless, but her last line, which questions the union position that nonmembers should be required to object to paying for politics after they've already refused to become union members, may be the single best commentary on the union's argument in the case:

[I]t's certainly not illogical to assume that if that cute freshman from your Russian-lit class already told you she didn't want to go on a date with you, it's a pretty safe bet she doesn't want to have sex with you, either.

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About Me

James Young is an attorney (licensed in D.C. and Pennsylvania only) with a public interest legal aid organization, is a nationally-recognized expert in labor and constitutional law in the context of individual rights, and has argued two cases before the United States Supreme Court. He has been married to his wife, Brenda, for 22 years, and they have two sons, Jimmy (16) and Patrick (11). In his professional capacity, he travels frequently, with cases in Philadelphia, Alaska, Hawaii, and California. His clients are quite diverse, and include farmworkers in California, Congressmen in Washington (challenging an Executive Order issued by Bill Clinton), pro football players with the Washington Redskins, and Barry Williams (big brother Greg on the Brady Bunch). From 1998 until 2005, he was a weekly political columnist for the Potomac News in Woodbridge, Virginia. He is active in Virginia Republican politics, and is a member of the Federalist Society.